I go to church with my wife

Mr. Ed

Mr. Ed

Be what you is not what you what you ain’t
Location
Central NY
I go to church with my wife because it’s no fun doing things alone. She appreciates my presence and I her’s, so I take my tablet with me to occupy the time and distract me away from the sermon.
All sermons are realitivly the same, Jesus loves you, you must love Jesus and because Jesus is the son of god, you must love god because created you and you owe it to god because god loved you first, so much he gave his only begotten son so you will be saved from sin. Around and around we go with nothing but faith holding everyone hostage.
 

Yep...me too. :)

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Mr. Ed said:
I go to church with my wife because it’s no fun doing things alone. She appreciates my presence and I her’s, so I take my tablet with me to occupy the time and distract me away from the sermon.
All sermons are realitivly the same, Jesus loves you, you must love Jesus and because Jesus is the son of god, you must love god because created you and you owe it to god because god loved you first, so much he gave his only begotten son so you will be saved from sin. Around and around we go with nothing but faith holding everyone hostage.
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That sounds very simple, boring and quite limiting of God's love, but your experience is sadly, not untypical. When I was younger I used to wonder why my mother loved certain Gospel hymns, but did not like most traditional churches. Now that I am older, I totally understand.
 
In my life I developed from a Roman Catholic to an agnostic and much later to an atheist. But I do believe in reincarnation. No contradiction for me.
Three decades ago I was at a very lovely spot of our landscape. It was raining cats and dogs and cold. A young man came along and I asked him why he was walking despite this bad weather. He answered that his wife was in church at the service and that he wasn't interested in this. For this reason he'd prefer going into the woods, "where God is also", as he said.
 
I enjoy seeing certain people and yes I enjoy time with my wife.

Why do I attend church? Primarily to discredit church rhetoric, bible and preaching in comparison with my world view. I’ve been in church, listened to sermons, and prayed for results until realizing there is nothing there for me.
Not until I denounced those things I grew up with did I find peace within myself. I believe religion is everything you desire it to be because religion is a product of your own desire. God is real, if that is what you want believe, no can control your mind or what you believe. Practice skepticism, examine your motives, why you do what you do.
Christianity is fed by church worship, prayer, bible literature. If you practice these things you are reinforcing the ideas and concepts of Christianity, you are what you eat,
 
I still go to church most Sunday's and plan to today at 11am. Despite the fact I have radical religious ideas that significant parts of don't fit into any organized Christian denomination beliefs. Despite the fact it can be repetitive and sometimes of low interest. I won't abandon a community of others Jesus quite clearly requested per gospel scripture we participate in regardless of some denomination dogma differences or behaviors of some individuals.

My differences start with my long held views against inerrant dogma, a huge issue. And per the OP, I who definitely have a long list of sinful shortcomings during my existence, especially when younger, tend to instead dismiss the focus on being "saved" whatever that is and however that is supposed to benefit individuals. Rather to some extent my motive is selfish, as I seek eternal life that if one actually studies New Testament scripture is what early followers were focused on. I immensely dislike otherwise certain mortal death and non-existence I am not afraid to feel so or think at length about.

John 6:66 As a result of this many of His disciples left, and would no longer walk with Him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “You (12 Apostles) do not want to leave also, do you?” 68 Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. 69 And we have already believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” 70 Jesus answered them, “Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.
 
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When we retired and settled back in Scotland, we hadn't been in a church since we got married 35 years earlier. Knowing what it was like in our youth, Mrs L suggested that maybe we should occasionally go to church - just to fit in. Church? Nobody here goes to church, well none that we know of. The village used to have two churches, one completely gone, and the other derelict. So, being non-believers, we have inadvertently fitted in just fine!
 
I went to church with my former wife, most Sundays. AndI did it because we were married in the church, I took our marriage vows seriously as it was a holy sacrament, and we had good friends at the church.

Alas, she ran off with another married person who she had met years before at a church sponsored event. She did it because “not do so so would be a betrayal of Jesus.” Go figure. Despite this obviously self-serving hypocritical behavior I still keep my Faith. I would not give it up because of what she did any more than I would give up my patriotism because some people have betrayed our country for money, fame, or whatever.
 
Capt Lightning said:
When we retired and settled back in Scotland, we hadn't been in a church since we got married 35 years earlier. Knowing what it was like in our youth, Mrs L suggested that maybe we should occasionally go to church - just to fit in. Church? Nobody here goes to church, well none that we know of. The village used to have two churches, one completely gone, and the other derelict. So, being non-believers, we have inadvertently fitted in just fine!
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IMO, the adoption of an official church and belief system has done more to hurt religions of all types. Forcing people to profess faith at the point of a sword (literal, legal, or other) does not work. I am sure Jesus, the Buddha and many other great religious leaders would tell us that. What it does is remove from the church the incentive to compete for souls. They become lazy, lose creativity and don’t keep up with how they can help people in today‘s life. Like buggy-whip makers who think that people will still buy buggy whips even though they all drive cars.

Some evangelical churchs do modernize and are helpful. But, they often mix in politics which is the kiss of death to true religious vitality.
 
George1959 said:
...A young man came along and I asked him why he was walking despite this bad weather. He answered that his wife was in church at the service and that he wasn't interested in this. For this reason he'd prefer going into the woods, "where God is also", as he said.
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My faith based response is...yes, of course God is everywhere. But the young man is cutting himself short of many blessings by not doing both. He's not going to experience being "fed" as much. And I'm not talking tacos. Many answers to our prayers are in God's word. That's one of the ways He communicates with us. I'm not attending a church at present either but I'm searching and I have a circle of like believers.

What I'm saying is you can walk around in the woods all day everyday till the cows come home but what good will that be? God is there but He wants to bless us and for us to bless others by "feeding" others by participating, sharing our talents, spiritual gifts, and brotherly love. God wants us to grow and to bless us.

And if we can't, like shut-ins, then God understands that, but even they can read, search, and share. I think you're searching Mr. Ed. In fact I've never known anyone who is so actively searching as you are. God's paying attention. You'll find your way. Just let go of your past and go forth.
 
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I admit I go mostly for the things they do there and my faith, We have a shooting range for members that are security vetted and a monthly training day plus a shooting match each month, $5 for entry plus lunch for members fees... If not shooting I sometimes take my dog as well behaved ones are welcome there...
 
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As I explained church and god is what and where one best appreciate them. Tis true I have negative feelings about tradional forms of worship and needs. In my opinion any and all forms of spiritual commitment excluding hatred and acts of evil are beneficial to the provider and to the receiver of spiritual good fortune.
If religion were taught on a broad range of spiritual awareness, and thereby cultivated to one’s on calling according to individual talents, church would be different than the present model of worship services.
 
When I was about 12 or 13, I was still being forced to go to bible class where I argued with the teacher and then to church. A school friend was in the same position and before the advent of tablets, smart phones etc.. we developed a form of sign language so that we could 'talk' to each other. I imagine anyone seeing us would think that one of us was deaf !
 
Hmmn... I turned up to church yesterday and the service was conducted by a lay preacher. It began with a reading of the poem "The Man from Snowy River" - actually it was the voice over for a clip from the Australian movie of the same name.

It was exhilarating to watch the horseman chasing the brumbies across rough, hilly country until all of them gave up the fruitless chase. All that is, except a young man on the smallish horse, who chased the wild horses down a frightenly steep slope and kept after them until they gave up and allowed him to drive them back to the homestead.

What has that to do with religion, you ask?

Well first of all, none of us were asleep after that introduction. Second, it became clear when we heard the two new testament readings explained in terms of Jesus and Paul both being rule breakers in their day. Like the man from Snowy River in the poem, they had the courage to ignore danger and stick to their mission until it was finished.

There was a bit more to it than what I have remembered but it was a moment in time when the familiar stories took on new meanings that resonated with our multicultural congregation. It was the new wine that is refreshingly different to the old.

Perhaps @Mr. Ed you are not hearing the old, old stories told in a manner that challenges your preconceptions. You are the wrong audience, in the wrong place, hearing words that you cannot relate to. Do you have the courage to look elsewhere for the new wine or are you content to occasionally sip the old wine that has long ago turned to vinegar?
 
Brookswood said:
I went to church with my former wife, most Sundays. AndI did it because we were married in the church, I took our marriage vows seriously as it was a holy sacrament, and we had good friends at the church.

Alas, she ran off with another married person who she had met years before at a church sponsored event. She did it because “not do so so would be a betrayal of Jesus.” Go figure. Despite this obviously self-serving hypocritical behavior I still keep my Faith. I would not give it up because of what she did any more than I would give up my patriotism because some people have betrayed our country for money, fame, or whatever.
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I took my marriage promise seriously too, but he did not. That's how it goes with some couples. The longer I have been apart from him and the more I have examined his motives for all kinds of things, and remembered the things he would say, the more convinced I am that he is mentally unwell but in fierce denial. He has found a church of like-minded people to which to belong. I.e. he never spoke in tongues when we were together but now I have heard he does. I don't know if they also tempt snakes at his church, but hey, if they do, it's not illegal right? Do I think all Foursquare believers are crazy? IDK. I have attended their Bible studies and been around
tongues-speaking and it made me uncomfortable. How can you tell anything genuine in that verses the fakes?

I used to feel sorry for him the way you might feel sorry for crazy homeless people when they repeatedly refuse to get help. I see others feeling sorry for him constantly . He has everything in this life a person could desire, and they still feel sorry for him! But I still buy my clothing and appliances from the thrift stores, yet no one gives me any pity, probably because I don't live my life campaigning for pity.

At church, I never get to talk about this stuff. None of it. What I have learned in every Bible Study I have ever attended is that church folks, especially pastors, don't want to hear about domestic violence, don't want to hear the lies your so-called Christian partner told you, and they sure don't want to hear about the trauma. Some people, when you start to tell them, they cut you off quickly by saying, "Let's pray about that". So I have learned that the suggestion to pray over it is merely a way to SHUT PEOPLE UP.

Prayer is the Band-Aid they offer for severe emotional trauma because they don't want to hire, say, a genuine MFCC to be on staff. Or have a list of psychologists and psychiatrists to refer people too (since some churches don't believe in psychologists and many more churches see psychology as a competitor to church attendance).

Divorce happens in the church every year, but the churches have ZERO lawyer referrals. They say they will support you through life's trials, but they don't. They say, but do not do. And it doesn't matter if it's Joel Olsteen's Big Fat TV Circus Church or a little neighborhood church. They prioritize mainstream "normal" people with "normal" lives. But once you have lived through much loss and trauma, you're just not like "normal" people anymore. If God can stand watching the sorrows of my life, church, why can your professional, paid agents not stand to hear about them?
 
Mr. Ed said:
I go to church with my wife because it’s no fun doing things alone. She appreciates my presence and I her’s, so I take my tablet with me to occupy the time and distract me away from the sermon.
All sermons are realitivly the same, Jesus loves you, you must love Jesus and because Jesus is the son of god, you must love god because created you and you owe it to god because god loved you first, so much he gave his only begotten son so you will be saved from sin. Around and around we go with nothing but faith holding everyone hostage.
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Why does your wife go to Church. Is she a believer? If so, it would be like she was singing in an opera and you only went to make her happy but didn't listen to her sing, but played with your tablet the whole time. Why go?
 
Mr. Ed said:
I go to church with my wife because it’s no fun doing things alone. She appreciates my presence and I her’s, so I take my tablet with me to occupy the time and distract me away from the sermon.
All sermons are realitivly the same, Jesus loves you, you must love Jesus and because Jesus is the son of god, you must love god because created you and you owe it to god because god loved you first, so much he gave his only begotten son so you will be saved from sin. Around and around we go with nothing but faith holding everyone hostage.
Click to expand...

I don't think believers can explain their faith to the stage it's truly understandable to the naysayer. Once you've accepted, truly accepted, things purely on faith, there's no explaining it as such. It just is.

The reverse is also true. Unbelievers can't explain why something doesn't go to the very heart of the person, as it does within the believer, that anchors and ties to a belief in a God make no sense whatsoever to someone who just doesn't get it.

I think it's because a belief isn't solely an intellectual thing, it's largely emotional too. It becomes who you are. And it's not about who you were, and who you are. It informs on what you will some day be, and where you'll go, and brings some light into the darkness of a death which is eternal.
 

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